4.2.2013 – Unite Against Rape

Media Contact:

Email: Public.Relations@unitewomen.org

Phone: Shannon Fisher, National Director of Public Relations, 804-404-2284 or

Karen Teegarden, President/CEO of UniteWomen.org, 248-952-8056

For Immediate Release April 2, 2013

UNITEWOMEN.ORG LAUNCHES CELEB-ENDORSED CAMPAIGN

TO ERADICATE VICTIM SHAMING & BLAMING WITH “UNITE AGAINST RAPE”

UniteWomen.org has rolled out their “Unite Against Rape” campaign to eradicate the shaming and blaming of rape victims. This campaign is garnering some high-profile endorsements, as well as the support of other women’s and human rights organizations. Roseanne Barr, Margaret Cho, Meghan McCain, Sandra Fluke, Jane Pratt (XOJane), Alexandria Goddard (the Steubenville Blogger), Ronnie Cameron and Olympian Andrew Reyes have signed on to participate, as have many other journalists, artists and everyday women and men who are survivors of rape or their supporters.

The purpose of the “Unite Against Rape” campaign is to change the public dialogue about rape and bring awareness to the issue by sharing people’s individual perspectives as we head into Sexual Assault Awareness month in April. With the recent rape trial in Steubenville fresh in the minds of Americans, and similar cases constantly being brought into the public eye, UniteWomen.org decided to publicly stand in solidarity with Steubenville’s Jane Doe and the millions of others who have survived the heinous crime of rape.

Women and men from all over the world are submitting their photos and statements of solidarity against rape and in support of rape survivors. UniteWomen.org is posting them on their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/UniteWomen). Anyone can submit the completed statement, “I stand united against rape because…” and their high-res photo to awareness@unitewomen.org.

“The idea is to remove the shame and blame from victims and direct it toward the perpetrators and those who participate in victim-blaming,” said Renee Davis, Executive Vice President of Programs at UniteWomen.org. “The wrong people are on the receiving end of public stigma, and this has to change!”

As a non-partisan women’s rights organization, with a reach of 20 million people worldwide, UniteWomen.org hopes to help remove the stigma of this crime by bringing it out into the open for all to see clearly. In addition to the internet graphics, UniteWomen.org will post several blog pieces by members of the organization and guest bloggers, produce videos and PSAs denouncing rape, plaster these posters all over the world during the month of April, and certainly commence at least one of their notorious “Twitter Bombing” operations.

Karen Teegarden, President and CEO of UniteWomen.org, says, “If we can stop one person from being raped by this ‘Unite Against Rape’ campaign, it will have been worth our time. This campaign features rape survivors, and those who support them, making bold statements against what is often referred to as our rape culture.”